Jane Alexander | |
---|---|
Member of the
Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 92nd district | |
In office 1965–1969 | |
Succeeded by | Eugene Geesey |
Personal details | |
Born | Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S. | November 29, 1929
Died | May 6, 2020 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. | (aged 90)
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | P. Nelson Alexander James A. McHale |
Alma mater |
Dickinson College of Law Dickinson College |
Occupation | lawyer |
Jane M. Alexander (November 10, 1929 – May 6, 2020) was an American politician and lawyer who served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1965 to 1969.
Jane Lehmer was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on November 10, 1929. [1] Her family returned to Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, by the time she turned two, to live on land owned by her family since shortly after William Penn founded the Colony of Pennsylvania. [2] [3] Lehmer's grandfather was a justice of the peace, and allowed her, aged five, to observe court proceedings over which he presided. [3] After Lehmer graduated from Dillsburg High School, she earned her bachelor's degree from Dickinson College in 1951, [4] followed by a degree in law from the Dickinson College of Law in 1954. She married P. Nelson Alexander, [4] with whom she raised two biological children. [2] Her second marriage was to James A. McHale, [4] whom she met while both worked at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. [2] [5]
In 1955, Jane Alexander was admitted to the York County Bar Association. [6] She was the second woman to gain membership within the county bar, and the first to actively practice law. [2] Alexander began her legal career in criminal law. [3] She was elected to her first political office in 1955, and sat on the Dillsburg Borough Council as its first woman member. [2] She was named president of the body, serving from 1958 to 1959, [1] and was also the first woman to lead the council. [2] Alexander subsequently served as a member of the Northern Joint School Board. [1] [2] Affiliated with the Democratic Party, Alexander was elected to two terms on the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, serving the 92nd District from 1965 to 1969. [1] [2] Upon taking office, Alexander became the first women to represent York County in the Pennsylvania General Assembly. [7] She lost her second reelection campaign in 1968. [1] [2] Between 1969 and 1972, Alexander was appointed to the Children's Services Advisory Board. [1] [6] She then worked for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Foods and Chemistry. Governor Milton Shapp subsequently named her deputy agricultural secretary for the state. [3] Alexander became the first woman in the United States to serve as deputy secretary of agriculture at the state level. [3] She remained in that role through 1978, when she became the owner and president of J&J Agri-Products and Services Inc., in Dillsburg. [3] Alexander practiced law until her death, [4] focusing on family law, estates and real estate. [3] Alexander died at Harrisburg Hospital, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, aged 90, on May 6, 2020. [6] [8]
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Jane Alexander | |
---|---|
Member of the
Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 92nd district | |
In office 1965–1969 | |
Succeeded by | Eugene Geesey |
Personal details | |
Born | Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S. | November 29, 1929
Died | May 6, 2020 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. | (aged 90)
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | P. Nelson Alexander James A. McHale |
Alma mater |
Dickinson College of Law Dickinson College |
Occupation | lawyer |
Jane M. Alexander (November 10, 1929 – May 6, 2020) was an American politician and lawyer who served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1965 to 1969.
Jane Lehmer was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on November 10, 1929. [1] Her family returned to Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, by the time she turned two, to live on land owned by her family since shortly after William Penn founded the Colony of Pennsylvania. [2] [3] Lehmer's grandfather was a justice of the peace, and allowed her, aged five, to observe court proceedings over which he presided. [3] After Lehmer graduated from Dillsburg High School, she earned her bachelor's degree from Dickinson College in 1951, [4] followed by a degree in law from the Dickinson College of Law in 1954. She married P. Nelson Alexander, [4] with whom she raised two biological children. [2] Her second marriage was to James A. McHale, [4] whom she met while both worked at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. [2] [5]
In 1955, Jane Alexander was admitted to the York County Bar Association. [6] She was the second woman to gain membership within the county bar, and the first to actively practice law. [2] Alexander began her legal career in criminal law. [3] She was elected to her first political office in 1955, and sat on the Dillsburg Borough Council as its first woman member. [2] She was named president of the body, serving from 1958 to 1959, [1] and was also the first woman to lead the council. [2] Alexander subsequently served as a member of the Northern Joint School Board. [1] [2] Affiliated with the Democratic Party, Alexander was elected to two terms on the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, serving the 92nd District from 1965 to 1969. [1] [2] Upon taking office, Alexander became the first women to represent York County in the Pennsylvania General Assembly. [7] She lost her second reelection campaign in 1968. [1] [2] Between 1969 and 1972, Alexander was appointed to the Children's Services Advisory Board. [1] [6] She then worked for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Foods and Chemistry. Governor Milton Shapp subsequently named her deputy agricultural secretary for the state. [3] Alexander became the first woman in the United States to serve as deputy secretary of agriculture at the state level. [3] She remained in that role through 1978, when she became the owner and president of J&J Agri-Products and Services Inc., in Dillsburg. [3] Alexander practiced law until her death, [4] focusing on family law, estates and real estate. [3] Alexander died at Harrisburg Hospital, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, aged 90, on May 6, 2020. [6] [8]
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cite news}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (
link)